NETWORKING

Have you ever looked at your switch and wondered what is going on inside there? It hums, at times it buzzes, and it has a few blinky lights, but what is it really doing? Are you able to understand what types of traffic are being sent to and fro? And do you ever wonder if any threats are lurking within? Of course you have; we all know that threats are everywhere and can be anywhere…

In my life, as in the lives of others, there have been those fearful, even existential moments. Heading into surgery. Rushing my sons to the ER (on more occasions than I care to count). When my parents were ill and ailing. These are the moments when nothing else in the world matters, except love and competent care. During every one of these frightful moments, it has been nurses who made the difference. They do more,…

Charting a Course It’s no exaggeration to say 2020 brought unprecedented change to the business world. Many of these changes could not have been anticipated. Other trends, such as remote collaboration, were changes that were already evident but accelerated in adoption. That’s the case with the shift to the cloud. Previously, while many organizations had embraced the cloud, others were more cautious in their approach. This wait-and-see attitude was no longer possible in the environment…

After the introduction from Michelle last week, I am excited to share my thoughts on Marketing Velocity Digital 2021. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, as I transitioned to lead Cisco’s Global Partner Marketing team. Marketing Velocity gave me the opportunity to take a breath, and to help our partner marketers become future ready. The notion of being future ready isn’t necessarily a new concept. It’s been used before to define several business…

Question: What do all of these have in common? A) Warehouses and distribution centers. B) Parking garages. C) Outdoor malls. D) Ports and airports. Answer: They’re outside traditional office walls—and real-world showcases for the value of industrial networking. Think IP cameras, badge readers, conveyors, sorters, and other IoT sensors. Popular payoffs for industrial networking include improving safety and security, increasing efficiency with automation, and creating great customer and employee experiences. Think about a business that…

One of the most serious and complex challenges that humanity faces is reversing the advance of climate change. It’s already affecting people and ecosystems around the globe, and disproportionately impacts the poor and vulnerable. Therefore, the work we do to protect the planet is directly linked to our efforts to protect the human rights, health, and well-being of people, including workers in our supply chain. Cisco is taking action to drive a more just and…

Passwordless has arrived. The key components enabling the new authentication technology are all in place. The quality of biometric sensors built into modern hardware has improved drastically in the past several years. Additionally, virtually all new endpoints include a secure enclave or trusted platform module (TPM) enabling the secure storage of asymmetric key pairs. Bringing it all together, modern web protocols like FIDO2 are enabling smooth, secure mechanisms to create and unlock keys with the…

Education is rapidly changing. Hybrid and distance learning have transformed the industry, and this has been accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Back when I was attending grad school at Wharton, the “digital divide” was just a future concept. That concept is now a reality. For example, if my children don’t have consistent, secure access to the internet in a performant manner, their learning, and overall education is compromised. From the evolving role of the campus…

The Next Generation of Events will be Hybrid There’s no question the pandemic has forever changed how the world works, accelerating digital transformations and putting a spotlight on solutions that enable productive and inclusive remote work experiences. This dynamic has been profoundly apparent in the event space; when in-person participation came to a halt, event planners were forced to adopt a virtual-only format. Now, as the recovery continues, the hybrid event model – one that combines…

One of my most memorable work-related travel adventures was a visit to Denmark. Here, the event ‘happy hour’ was spent enjoying the rides and attractions at the Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen. For those not familiar, Tivoli is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, operating since 1843. After being mesmerized by the colorful lights that guide you, you will stumble upon attractions like the most creative fun house ever constructed. You…